I completed my 17 mile run last night! I started around 5pm since we helped a friend unpack their moving truck and ended up getting back later than expected. The run started out really well- I had to hold myself back from running too fast- sometimes a good sign. I had my phone in a belt on my waist with my Pandora stations- on shuffle at first, then I had to pick a station since it kept playing Christmas music and classical- not appropriate for this run! The clouds of bugs were the only unfortunate incidences along the run. I dry-heaved after inhaling one and had to hold my breath and dodge the clouds after that incident. I HATE running into bugs. It's the worst when you are breathing hard.
I completed 2 loops of my planned route then it got too dark to be able to see on the dirt trails near the lake so I had to stick to well-lit sidewalks so I wouldn't get abducted. I'm not even joking about that... I would periodically glance behind me to make sure I wasn't being followed and ran (like I always do) with only one earbud in. The dark slowed me down a little since curbs were tough to gauge their depth and my effort to lift my leg to actually clear the curb increased as well as the run went on. I had my phone on me so I was occasionally giving updates to Matt about how far along I was and how my run was going.
The run was beautiful in the sunset light. The sun lit up a field of gold and threw dramatic shadows over the trail from the yellow and red aspen. The temperature dropped shortly after the sun went down. My upper body was warm enough even though my top was damp from sweat but I was still only wearing my tri shorts. The only part of my body that was cold were my kneecaps, which became a little painful around mile 13- most likely because of the cold. Around the same time my legs began to cramp. My quads and calves were painful with every step on the unforgiving concrete. Instead of looping back to the car to grab some water to wash down my salt pills, I kept going with 'only a few miles left' and 'only a little longer' repeating in my head.
Since I didn't really know the layout of the neighborhood I hadn't planned on running around I had to tell my calorie-deprived brain to look at the road signs and remember what streets I was turning on. Luckily I have a gift for navigating and can usually find my way back from anywhere without too much effort.
I got back to my car with less than a mile left so I ran a little further to make up the distance. The second I finished all I could think about was taking some salt and figuring out what to do for dinner. I called Matt and, on my way to Jamba Juice, saw a Cold Stone and decided that was a better idea! Thai Basil is next door so I was able to get dinner and dessert in one stop- even though the hunger hadn't set in yet, I knew it would soon.
It took a long time to fall asleep last night. I donned my compression socks and winter running compression tights after my shower. The tights were a good idea but I found it hard to sleep in them because of the tight elastic band on the stomach. I ended up taking them off before I FINALLY fell asleep. Maybe it was the adrenaline still coursing through my veins, or it could have been the dull ache in my legs that prevented me from falling asleep. Either way, I completed it and broke my mental barrier. During that last mile I remember asking myself, "Could I do 9.2 more miles on top of this?- Definitely. Especially if I have spectators ringing cow bells and yelling encouragement.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Emergen-C, Roggen Roundabout and 17-mi Run Preparation
I have been religiously taking Emergen-C (3x a day as directed on the box) and the lymph nodes soreness and sore throat has gone away! Not sure if it was the extra vitamins or not but I'm grateful it didn't go into a full blown illness.
Matt and I are signing up for the Roggen Roundabout for Saturday- a 200K bike ride starting from Superior, CO and going out to Hudson, Keenesburg, Roggen, Platteville, and back to Superior. It's a little of an overshot of our 100-mile bike ride for this weekend, but we don't want to go it alone without support. The ride is one of RMCC's brevets. It should be challenging but fun. The other 100-milers seems to snake up into the mountains and I feel 100 miles is already enough of a challenge and preparation for Ironman Florida.
Tomorrow is my long 17-mi run! I planned it this way so I can recover enough before our century bike ride. Matt will likely be riding his bike next to me for support (and as a pack mule for my gels and water). I've already mapped my route- it's a 6-mile loop I will do 3x. The benefits of the route I chose are: 1) minimal elevation change 2) Never too far from the car- weather, etc. 3) Most of the run is on gravel trails 4) Very close to home! I can cut the last loop short by a mile by cutting out the left half of the figure-8. Even if Matt doesn't accompany me, I can drop water bottles or keep extra stuff in the car for refueling. This time I WILL BE SUCCESSFUL! I also downloaded Pandora on my phone for new music to listen to- really looking forward to that!
I've done long runs like this before, and I don't know why this year is any different. I guess I'll just have to run with it and keep motivated.
This bottom image is the shortcut on the last lap to make it 17 miles instead of 18.
Matt and I are signing up for the Roggen Roundabout for Saturday- a 200K bike ride starting from Superior, CO and going out to Hudson, Keenesburg, Roggen, Platteville, and back to Superior. It's a little of an overshot of our 100-mile bike ride for this weekend, but we don't want to go it alone without support. The ride is one of RMCC's brevets. It should be challenging but fun. The other 100-milers seems to snake up into the mountains and I feel 100 miles is already enough of a challenge and preparation for Ironman Florida.
Tomorrow is my long 17-mi run! I planned it this way so I can recover enough before our century bike ride. Matt will likely be riding his bike next to me for support (and as a pack mule for my gels and water). I've already mapped my route- it's a 6-mile loop I will do 3x. The benefits of the route I chose are: 1) minimal elevation change 2) Never too far from the car- weather, etc. 3) Most of the run is on gravel trails 4) Very close to home! I can cut the last loop short by a mile by cutting out the left half of the figure-8. Even if Matt doesn't accompany me, I can drop water bottles or keep extra stuff in the car for refueling. This time I WILL BE SUCCESSFUL! I also downloaded Pandora on my phone for new music to listen to- really looking forward to that!
I've done long runs like this before, and I don't know why this year is any different. I guess I'll just have to run with it and keep motivated.
Training Peak
I wrote this post a few days ago and never posted it...
We are down to the last month of training and the peak of our training program before the big taper. I woke up a few mornings ago with a sore left lymph node- a sign of the beginnings of getting sick. I have been drinking Emergen-C, water, and tea like crazy. A new Emergen-C came out with Glucosamine and Chondroitin for joint health- why not?
Matt and I completed a trainer ride this evening after the thunderstorms threatened our workout. I remember now why I just ditch the workout on rainy days...the trainer is a mental marathon. Minutes seem like hours. Part of me wants to do more of these for the convenience, but the other part is screaming "NO WAY!". Why is it that I can endure what my husband calls 'mind-numbing' laps in the pool for over an hour but yet I can't sit on my bike on the trainer for an hour? I have the same problem with running, even outside. I can't get my mind into running further than 6 miles. I know my body can do it but my mind slows me down. Anyone have a quick-fix for this or should I just read some motivational articles before I go out?
We are down to the last month of training and the peak of our training program before the big taper. I woke up a few mornings ago with a sore left lymph node- a sign of the beginnings of getting sick. I have been drinking Emergen-C, water, and tea like crazy. A new Emergen-C came out with Glucosamine and Chondroitin for joint health- why not?
Matt and I completed a trainer ride this evening after the thunderstorms threatened our workout. I remember now why I just ditch the workout on rainy days...the trainer is a mental marathon. Minutes seem like hours. Part of me wants to do more of these for the convenience, but the other part is screaming "NO WAY!". Why is it that I can endure what my husband calls 'mind-numbing' laps in the pool for over an hour but yet I can't sit on my bike on the trainer for an hour? I have the same problem with running, even outside. I can't get my mind into running further than 6 miles. I know my body can do it but my mind slows me down. Anyone have a quick-fix for this or should I just read some motivational articles before I go out?
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Harvest Moon Race Report
Swim:
I had a hard time finding the buoys laid out on the course because of the sun and the water current created from the wind. The course was interesting- a small-based triangle, and we were to swim around the end of a straight line of buoys that marked both the out and back of the swim. The swim back to the beach was rough. Waves were making it tough to get a good breath in without a mouthful of water. I pressed on and finished the swim in 35 minutes.
Bike:
I knew to hold back on the bike for the first half and save some energy for the hills at the end of the ride, and the nice tailwind helped me accomplish this. Shortly after the turn onto Quincy I got a flat after rolling over some glass on the course. I stopped to fix it and a course mechanic pulled over and basically did it for me and I was on my way! Once I hopped back on my bike I saw my husband, Matt, and we were both feeling good but looked forward to getting off the bike. A minute after he pulled away my chain dropped. I stopped and quickly got it back on my crank and was off again. At the bottom of one of the hills it looked like a porcelain toilet had exploded and there were shards everywhere. I managed to get past without any more flats, but about 4 miles from the finish it happened again- another flat! This time I didn't have another spare so I figured I would walk towards the finish until someone could help me. Most of the people who passed me didn't have deep dish wheels so couldn't really help with a spare tube since I needed one that was either longer or could accept an extension. “It could be worse…”
I walked to the turn off to the reservoir and the crossing marshal told me he had radioed for a ride for me. "But won't that end my race? Will they have a spare tube?". "I don't know the rules. I just saw you walking and called. You can refuse the ride if you want to keep going though." "Thank you." “It could be worse…”
A few hundred more feet and a guy stopped and handed me a tube that could accept a valve extension. Now if I could just get the original valve off…As I was messing with the valve the course mechanic came to my rescue again! This time there was a guy in the passenger seat and his bike on the rack on top of the car. His race was over. Mine was finally 2/3 done, and it could have been worse.
Run
“I should have stopped at the Port-O-Potty in transition”, I thought to myself. “At least I know there are some on the race course.” I ran most of the way to the first aid station, grabbed some water and had a few salt tablets and finally found the port-o-potty around mile 2. I went in, did my business, and as I was pulling my shorts back up I heard something in the toilet well. I spun around to find a bat that appeared to be lying on the beach of the blue sanitation liquid. I dropped some toilet paper on him to see if he was still alive and he moved! Watching the bat closely, I finished pulling up my shorts, got some hand sanitizer and got the hell out of there! I’m glad I saw it after I used the restroom because I would have had to wait another 2 miles before finding another potty.
The run was mostly a walk since my calves and what felt like my diaphragm were cramping and my stomach was upset and gurgling. I tried to take in more salt but the cramps persisted. After 3 hours of walking I made it back to the finish and dove into the blow-up slip and slide.
My husband was waiting for me at the finish and I gave him a hug and a kiss and thanked him for waiting so long for me to finish. I explained to him what had happened after I saw him on the bike. For most of the run I was thinking about him waiting for me, but I realized it really could have been worse- I could have nobody waiting for me at the finish after going for this long. If that was the case I probably would have quit after that second tire puncture and taken that ride back to transition.
Thank you, Matt, for keeping me going.
I had a hard time finding the buoys laid out on the course because of the sun and the water current created from the wind. The course was interesting- a small-based triangle, and we were to swim around the end of a straight line of buoys that marked both the out and back of the swim. The swim back to the beach was rough. Waves were making it tough to get a good breath in without a mouthful of water. I pressed on and finished the swim in 35 minutes.
Bike:
I knew to hold back on the bike for the first half and save some energy for the hills at the end of the ride, and the nice tailwind helped me accomplish this. Shortly after the turn onto Quincy I got a flat after rolling over some glass on the course. I stopped to fix it and a course mechanic pulled over and basically did it for me and I was on my way! Once I hopped back on my bike I saw my husband, Matt, and we were both feeling good but looked forward to getting off the bike. A minute after he pulled away my chain dropped. I stopped and quickly got it back on my crank and was off again. At the bottom of one of the hills it looked like a porcelain toilet had exploded and there were shards everywhere. I managed to get past without any more flats, but about 4 miles from the finish it happened again- another flat! This time I didn't have another spare so I figured I would walk towards the finish until someone could help me. Most of the people who passed me didn't have deep dish wheels so couldn't really help with a spare tube since I needed one that was either longer or could accept an extension. “It could be worse…”
I walked to the turn off to the reservoir and the crossing marshal told me he had radioed for a ride for me. "But won't that end my race? Will they have a spare tube?". "I don't know the rules. I just saw you walking and called. You can refuse the ride if you want to keep going though." "Thank you." “It could be worse…”
A few hundred more feet and a guy stopped and handed me a tube that could accept a valve extension. Now if I could just get the original valve off…As I was messing with the valve the course mechanic came to my rescue again! This time there was a guy in the passenger seat and his bike on the rack on top of the car. His race was over. Mine was finally 2/3 done, and it could have been worse.
Run
“I should have stopped at the Port-O-Potty in transition”, I thought to myself. “At least I know there are some on the race course.” I ran most of the way to the first aid station, grabbed some water and had a few salt tablets and finally found the port-o-potty around mile 2. I went in, did my business, and as I was pulling my shorts back up I heard something in the toilet well. I spun around to find a bat that appeared to be lying on the beach of the blue sanitation liquid. I dropped some toilet paper on him to see if he was still alive and he moved! Watching the bat closely, I finished pulling up my shorts, got some hand sanitizer and got the hell out of there! I’m glad I saw it after I used the restroom because I would have had to wait another 2 miles before finding another potty.
The run was mostly a walk since my calves and what felt like my diaphragm were cramping and my stomach was upset and gurgling. I tried to take in more salt but the cramps persisted. After 3 hours of walking I made it back to the finish and dove into the blow-up slip and slide.
My husband was waiting for me at the finish and I gave him a hug and a kiss and thanked him for waiting so long for me to finish. I explained to him what had happened after I saw him on the bike. For most of the run I was thinking about him waiting for me, but I realized it really could have been worse- I could have nobody waiting for me at the finish after going for this long. If that was the case I probably would have quit after that second tire puncture and taken that ride back to transition.
Thank you, Matt, for keeping me going.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Night Before the Harvest
It's the night before my next race- the Harvest Moon 70.3- and I am sitting here with an ice cold Ginger Woodchuck Hard Cider thinking about tomorrow's adventure. The swim should seem really easy since I did a 2.4 mile swim last weekend (twice the distance of tomorrow's race), but the bike...I am determined to not let this one hill get the best of me. On my training ride of the course I went out way too fast at the start, feeling great, and hit a wall with 3 miles left (after I had FINALLY made it up this one hill in particular). I pulled off to the side of the road.
"How do your legs feel?" I asked my husband between gasps for air.
"They feel amazing! I could do another loop right now!", He said, as I was remembering he was sitting behind me the whole way with a draft. I rolled my eyes. "Can you take my keys and go on ahead if I can't make it (of course I wouldn't dare say the word 'quit')?" "Sure! I'll be quick!" We were both out of water and it had been a really hot, exposed day. We both set off at our own pace for the last 3 miles and I managed to make it back before he started the car to come get me. It took everything I had to finish that bike loop (45 miles). Anyway, I plan to hold back at the start of the bike to save energy for the hills and especially the run.
I had a moment of panic when I took my bike out this evening to make sure everything was working properly. I discovered my front tire was flat and I only had one more spare tube! I called Bicycle Village to see if my special-order tubes were in, and they told me: 1) That they weren't, and 2) They had actually closed 10 minutes ago, but they open at 11am tomorrow! He walked me through how to patch my tube and re-assured me he patches his tubes at least 4 times until he replaces them.--By the way, if this works out, I'll be patching my tubes regularly! It will save a bundle with Goat Head season coming!-- I found the leak and patched it tonight so I have all night to pray it's not flat in the morning. Wow. Bad planning on my part.
So tonight I'm going to eat some pasta (gluten-free, of course), put my feet up, enjoy a hard cider, and watch a movie.
Good luck to those doing races this weekend!
"How do your legs feel?" I asked my husband between gasps for air.
"They feel amazing! I could do another loop right now!", He said, as I was remembering he was sitting behind me the whole way with a draft. I rolled my eyes. "Can you take my keys and go on ahead if I can't make it (of course I wouldn't dare say the word 'quit')?" "Sure! I'll be quick!" We were both out of water and it had been a really hot, exposed day. We both set off at our own pace for the last 3 miles and I managed to make it back before he started the car to come get me. It took everything I had to finish that bike loop (45 miles). Anyway, I plan to hold back at the start of the bike to save energy for the hills and especially the run.
I had a moment of panic when I took my bike out this evening to make sure everything was working properly. I discovered my front tire was flat and I only had one more spare tube! I called Bicycle Village to see if my special-order tubes were in, and they told me: 1) That they weren't, and 2) They had actually closed 10 minutes ago, but they open at 11am tomorrow! He walked me through how to patch my tube and re-assured me he patches his tubes at least 4 times until he replaces them.--By the way, if this works out, I'll be patching my tubes regularly! It will save a bundle with Goat Head season coming!-- I found the leak and patched it tonight so I have all night to pray it's not flat in the morning. Wow. Bad planning on my part.
So tonight I'm going to eat some pasta (gluten-free, of course), put my feet up, enjoy a hard cider, and watch a movie.
Good luck to those doing races this weekend!
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Cake and Training
I had a late breakfast today so I figured a small lunch- a few tomatoes from the garden, a protein shake, and a small piece of our Anniversary cake would be a good lunch (of course I did, it involved cake!). I moved my run to tomorrow to give my legs a little more time to rest from our Harvest Moon Half Ironman bike we did on Monday (45 miles of the course). The story with that is I put arch support in my bike shoes and the first bike I did with them was a long ride. I should have known to start off easy with them like you would anything new you change to your training equipment but I was thinking since I have insoles in my running shoes that basically do the same thing I would be ok, right? Nope. So I have some pretty sore calves and they hurt when I walk. (Crossing my fingers I'll be good for the race!)
Back to my meal choices. Apparently what I ate wasn't enough since I was starting to feel hungry so I had a little snack before swim- a Bonk Breaker bar and some GU Chomps (YUM!), which I had on my way to Denver. The first part of the workout was ok- a few 200's warm up and some drills done at an alarmingly fast pace for a drill set. The next set is what got me- 3x 100's, 3x 75's, 3x 50's, 3x 25's (FR/BK/BR) all continuous- no rests or stopping, followed by 5x 100's on 1:35. For those of you who know what the sets mean and can decipher the workout I just mentioned, you know how tough that was in the fastest lane where the first person dictates the speed of the workout. For those of you reading that don't have an idea, I can break it down a little further into laps- 30 fast laps (lap being down to the other end) followed by 5x 4 laps swam really fast- almost with no rest.
So going back to what I ate today, this was obviously not enough to fuel my workout. I guess I was thinking I would be able to get away with fewer calories (and maybe lose a little weight before my race), but it ended up being a detriment to my workout and I had to hop out, with my head hung, before my workout (in my mind) was complete.
It might have been a blessing in disguise since I'm doing a hilly Half Ironman on Sunday in East Aurora (Harvest Moon) and I will probably need more rest than I have planned to give myself.
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| There's about 1/8 left :-D |
So going back to what I ate today, this was obviously not enough to fuel my workout. I guess I was thinking I would be able to get away with fewer calories (and maybe lose a little weight before my race), but it ended up being a detriment to my workout and I had to hop out, with my head hung, before my workout (in my mind) was complete.
It might have been a blessing in disguise since I'm doing a hilly Half Ironman on Sunday in East Aurora (Harvest Moon) and I will probably need more rest than I have planned to give myself.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Running to Eat
I have hit a bump in the road lately with my running. I was doing really well keeping up with my runs, getting them in and doing them at a reasonable pace. I'm not quite sure what happened but it seems I can hit the sprints on the track and get the shorter recovery runs done easily but I've been struggling to complete the long runs without stopping. Maybe I need new music? Maybe I need to just tough it out and work on my mental toughness? Whatever it is, I hope it passes soon- I have a marathon to run! (after a swim and bike, that is).
I have let my nutrition slip as well- not like eating unhealthy, but just eating things my body can't handle such as double stuff oreos (which, by the way, have both gluten and dairy products). It would probably be ok if I just ate two- as that is probably the serving size anyway- but who can eat just two of them!? I end up finishing a whole trench of them when I'm in the kitchen 'cleaning up'.
On the other hand, Matt and I made some home-made red pasta sauce from our fresh roma tomatoes in the garden. We were also able to use the basil, a tomatillo, and our green peppers all from the garden. The sauce turned out awesome!
I have let my nutrition slip as well- not like eating unhealthy, but just eating things my body can't handle such as double stuff oreos (which, by the way, have both gluten and dairy products). It would probably be ok if I just ate two- as that is probably the serving size anyway- but who can eat just two of them!? I end up finishing a whole trench of them when I'm in the kitchen 'cleaning up'.
On the other hand, Matt and I made some home-made red pasta sauce from our fresh roma tomatoes in the garden. We were also able to use the basil, a tomatillo, and our green peppers all from the garden. The sauce turned out awesome!
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| http://bridgerun.com/uploads/2013/12/running.jpg |
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